Actors who play gay couple on Days of Our Lives both nominated for Emmy Awards

Chandler Massey and Freddie Smith, who play a young gay couple on the NBC soap Days of Our Lives were both nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards on Wednesday (1 May).

Massey, who plays the role of Will Horton, was nominated for the third consecutive year in the category of Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series. He won last year.

'Just getting nominated is an honor,' Massey told Gay Stars News shortly after the nominations were announced. 'It's really nice, it's very gratifying and humbling to get this respect from your peers. But I'm not doing it for the awards, I'm doing it for the story and for the character.'

Smith is among the three other nominees. It's the actor's first Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Sonny Kiriakis on the soap.

'The exciting thing about this time is that Freddie is nominated too,' Massey said. 'That's a huge bonus.'

The characters started out as friends who grew closer as Will struggled through the coming out process. Their romance developed last fall but was threatened when it was learned that Will's ex-girlfriend was pregnant with his child.

The characters have broken new ground on US daytime television with their physical affection. They kiss frequently, have a great deal of physical contact, and on occasion have been seen in bed together.

Smith recently spoke with Gay Star News about their chemistry.

'He and I trust each other and that's the biggest thing,' he said. 'Most of our affection is just all improv, it's what we feel in the scene. When I step in to that character, I truly love Will and Will loves Sonny and that's where the chemistry comes from. I'm just happy that we were able to be paired up to do this.'

Their Emmy competition is a pair of actors from the CBS soap The Young and the Restless: Max Ehrich and Bryton James.